TALISAY GEARS UP FOR IRONMAN RACE

MORE than 300 police officers, traffic enforcers, tanods and cadets of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) will be deployed in Talisay City, Cebu to secure a world-famous ultramarathon on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019.

As early as 4 a.m., over 200 traffic enforcers and tanods will be at their respective posts at the Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR) in the city, where a portion of the bicycle race of the Regent Aguila Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines will be held.

More than 100 ROTC cadets will also serve as human barricade to prevent any spectator from crossing the road.

On Saturday, Aug. 10, the City of Talisay-Traffic Operations Development Authority (CT-Toda) personnel will keep stray dogs away from the CSCR.

“We would make sure that the residents would be allowed to cross the road only if the athletes are still far. We would make sure that no one would disrupt the international event in our jurisdiction,” CT-Toda chief Jonathan Tumulak said in Cebuano.

Two medical teams from the Talisay City Health Office will be stationed near the route, so they could attend to any emergency situation. The personnel of the Cebu Provincial Health Office and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office will assist the medical teams.

The international race starts with a 1.9-kilometer swim in the waters off Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa in Lapu-Lapu City.

The athletes will then traverse the roads of the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Cebu, Mandaue and Talisay City for the 90-kilometer bike portion.

Ultramarathoners will take the road passing through Mactan Newtown, before going to the Marcelo Fernan Bridge. Then they will pass through Mandaue City and the CSCR in the cities of Cebu and Talisay.

The participants will return to Lapu-Lapu City for the final phase of the race, the 21-kilometer run. The run course will be in Punta Engaño, and the finish line is at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa. (Related stories on Page 26).